Published: Thursday, March 13, 2014 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 10:31 p.m.

Five to eight seconds.

Facts

Info Box

Sheriff's Office safety tips for race fans-- Remove all valuables from the interior of your vehicle and lock them in the trunk. Don't leave items in plain view.-- Always lock your vehicle.-- Don't carry large sums of cash.-- Be cautious at ATMs. Make sure no one is looking over your shoulder as you enter your PIN or withdraw cash.-- Leave early for the track and expect delays on race days.-- Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.

That's enough time to open a pack of gum, tie a knot or snap a picture. It's also roughly the time it takes a dragster to roar down a quarter-mile dragstrip.

Bill Reichert, a five-time world drag racing champion, knows every fraction of a second counts. One mistake can mean the difference between a shot at the finals or elimination.

The 62-year-old Michigan resident and his racing team spent Wednesday preparing for the 45th Annual National Hot Rod Association Gatornationals at the Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville. The event will run from today until Sunday.

Reichert has competed at Gatornationals before. He finished runner-up several times in the last decade. He said he hopes this year's competition will be different.

"Definitely got a bull's-eye painted on this," he said. "We want to win."

Race crews from across North America arrived at the raceway, located north of the Gainesville airport at 11211 N. County Road 225, Tuesday and Wednesday for the four-day competition.

Engines roared outside the raceway Wednesday as drivers showed off their cars and mechanics made final preparations.

Hospitality crews and workers hustled through the raceway's pit area. Some built large tents outside corporate-sponsored semi-trucks. Others prepped food to feed thousands.

Gatornationals is widely considered one of the top three stops on the NHRA's schedule. It's also the NRHA's first event of the year on the East Coast.

Mike Yurick, the raceway's track manager, said that about 80,000 fans, most from out of town, are expected to attend the event.

Joleen Cacciatore, executive director of the Gainesville Sports Commission, said the competition is expected to bring $60 million to the city.

The days before Gatornationals allow teams to reunite with friends and bond over their passions for speed and loud engines.

Jeff Veale, a 37-year-old driver from Ontario, Canada, found his love for racing at a young age when he and his father, Gary, attended the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind. He started racing after he turned 16 and hasn't stopped since.

Now, Veale uses the money he and his father make from their residential construction company to fund their team and compete nationwide.

Veale and his team have raced in the NHRA series since 2000. He's competed five times at Gatornationals since 2007 but never moved passed qualifications.

"It's tough," he said. "There are some quick cars here."

Gatornationals is also a time for drivers to test their cars on a professional track.

<p>Five to eight seconds.</p><p>That's enough time to open a pack of gum, tie a knot or snap a picture. It's also roughly the time it takes a dragster to roar down a quarter-mile dragstrip.</p><p>Bill Reichert, a five-time world drag racing champion, knows every fraction of a second counts. One mistake can mean the difference between a shot at the finals or elimination.</p><p>The 62-year-old Michigan resident and his racing team spent Wednesday preparing for the 45th Annual National Hot Rod Association Gatornationals at the Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville. The event will run from today until Sunday.</p><p>Reichert has competed at Gatornationals before. He finished runner-up several times in the last decade. He said he hopes this year's competition will be different.</p><p>"Definitely got a bull's-eye painted on this," he said. "We want to win."</p><p>Race crews from across North America arrived at the raceway, located north of the Gainesville airport at 11211 N. County Road 225, Tuesday and Wednesday for the four-day competition.</p><p>Engines roared outside the raceway Wednesday as drivers showed off their cars and mechanics made final preparations.</p><p>Hospitality crews and workers hustled through the raceway's pit area. Some built large tents outside corporate-sponsored semi-trucks. Others prepped food to feed thousands.</p><p>Gatornationals is widely considered one of the top three stops on the NHRA's schedule. It's also the NRHA's first event of the year on the East Coast.</p><p>Mike Yurick, the raceway's track manager, said that about 80,000 fans, most from out of town, are expected to attend the event.</p><p>Joleen Cacciatore, executive director of the Gainesville Sports Commission, said the competition is expected to bring $60 million to the city.</p><p>The days before Gatornationals allow teams to reunite with friends and bond over their passions for speed and loud engines.</p><p>Jeff Veale, a 37-year-old driver from Ontario, Canada, found his love for racing at a young age when he and his father, Gary, attended the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind. He started racing after he turned 16 and hasn't stopped since.</p><p>Now, Veale uses the money he and his father make from their residential construction company to fund their team and compete nationwide.</p><p>Veale and his team have raced in the NHRA series since 2000. He's competed five times at Gatornationals since 2007 but never moved passed qualifications.</p><p>"It's tough," he said. "There are some quick cars here."</p><p>Gatornationals is also a time for drivers to test their cars on a professional track.</p><p>Brent Jones, a 42-year-old oil producer from Wheatland, Ind., owns a mustard-colored 2010 Dodge Challenger he calls "The Knox County Driller."</p><p>He bought the car in 2009 and hired Mike Roth of MR2 Performance Race Cars to modify it for NHRA's Super Stock class.</p><p>Jones debuted the car in September during the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. He won "Best Appearing Car" later that month at the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis.</p><p>In Gainesville, Jones said racing against other teams has been "a learning curve."</p><p>"It's taken me a long time to learn the sport," he said.</p><p>Jones added he isn't nervous about the competition. He wants to see how fast he can push "The Driller."</p><p>"I think we're good," he said. "But you don't know until you're on the track."</p><p>Race fans Jerrold and Ronnie Mace, of Port Richey, have attended the event for almost 25 years. The couple said it's their version of a vacation.</p><p>"Sixteen thousand horsepower right up in your face," said Jerrold Mace, a 45-year-old fishing guide and charter boat captain. "(There's) nothing like it."</p><p>Ronnie Mace, a 39-year marine upholsterer, said one of her favorite traditions is tailgating and watching the races with friends.</p><p>"This is the friendliest place," she said.</p><p>While thousands of fans make their way to the event this weekend, residents near the raceway can expect heavy traffic on County Road 225 and the thunder of engines from the track.</p><p>Dallas Bell, a 48-year-old Gainesville resident who lives down the road from the raceway, said he doesn't mind the noise or traffic.</p><p>In fact, he uses the event to meet new people outside his front door.</p><p>"Sometimes there's a lot of people who walk down the street," he said. "I meet a few friends and have a few beers with them."</p>